


Stir And Strain

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Video Blogging RPF, Youtube RPF
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Basically in which it's another normal day with these two, Caretaking, Caring, Exhaustion, Fainting, Fever, Friendship, In which Jackie ends up picking up the pieces, In which Schneep needs to take better care of himself, Late at Night, Mid-Canon, Multiple Selves, Overworking, Panic, Rescue, Sickfic, Stargazing, Stars, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 00:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15085502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Jackieboy convinces Schneep to take a break from his work and go up to the roof for some stargazing, hoping that it’ll allow his mind and body some time to rest. It turns out Schneep’s been depriving himself of that for far too long already.





	Stir And Strain

**Author's Note:**

> I had a few ups and downs yesterday and I ended up really tired, so making one of the Egos sick is always a good way to decompress! Haha, sorry if it's gotten repetitive for you guys but I'm a big fan of sickfics! <3

Now that Jackieboy thought back, he should have sensed something was wrong as soon as he opened the door to the lab. He would hope he had gotten to know Schneep pretty well over the course of their friendship and when the doctor didn’t look up from his mountain of paperwork at the sound of the squeaking door hinges, he should have known.

He didn’t know and didn’t think to ask. “Henrik?” he called hopefully, pausing for a reply he didn’t get until he ventured a little closer and raised his voice. “Henrik?”

“What? Hmm?” Startling, Schneep dropped the folder he was staring at, prying off his glasses and scrubbing languidly at his eyes for a lingering moment before remembering that he was supposed to look up. That he did, his head falling back against the chair with a light thump. “Oh…Hello, Jackie, did you need something? The stitches from earlier did a little pop and tangle, didn’t they?”

“No, I’m fine, but I just wanted to let you know that it’s really nice out tonight! There aren’t too many clouds, so the stars are clear and I thought I’d ask if you wanted to come to the roof and stargaze, get some fresh air!” Jackieboy explained, shifting his weight back and forth eagerly as he watched his friend plant an elbow on the armrest of his chair and lean his cheek into his hand as he considered.

“I still…I don’t know if I feel up for it, Jackie. I still have things.” Grimacing, he cast a reluctant sideways glance at his desk, his eyes glazing over as they scanned the scattered folders demanding to be sorted. “Lots and lots and lots of  _things_ …”

“Well, they’re still going to be there when you get back,” Jackieboy reminded him, earning a groan that probably amounted to “ _Not helping_.” His fingers were shaking, the hero noted fleetingly. It wasn’t uncommon, given all the caffeine he drank in a day, so he reached out, taking ahold of his warm hand to steady it as he added, “C’mon, you look like you’re totally fried. It doesn’t have to be long, but you gotta get some circulation back.”

When Schneep finally gave a listless nod of surrender, the older Ego breathed a private sigh of relief as he used the hold on his hand to leverage him to his feet. If Schneep happened to fall asleep while they were up there, he wouldn’t mind, or it could be that all he would need was the break to revitalize him and get him through a few more hours of work. Either way, he knew it would help.

As soon as they emerged onto the roof, Jackieboy decided that it would probably be the latter case as Schneep blinked as if he were seeing color for the first time, all the tension bleeding out of his face to be replaced by a smile of utter relief. “Ohhh, it’s so  _cool_  up here!” he sighed blissfully, already peeling off his sweaty, cumbersome lab coat and throwing it aside so he could feel the full effect of the breeze.

“A lot better than your stuffy ol’ lab, isn’t it?” Jackie teased, to which his friend nodded earnestly as he took another deep breath, swaying back and forth into the wind.

“So much better…” he murmured, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. Jackieboy let him stay like that for a solid minute before putting a hand on his shoulder and chuckling as he jumped.

“I’ve got the telescope set up for you,” he offered, gesturing to the edge of the roof. “You want to see if you can pick out the constellations without my help?”

Shrugging haphazardly, Schneep fell back a step, throwing out his arms to catch himself as he admitted ruefully, “I don’t know, I might just like to feel this breeze.”

“Haha, don’t worry, I’m not gonna run you through it like a pop quiz. It’s just for fun while I set up the blankets and then we can relax!”

“But you know I always get those silly little names confuzzled.” When Jackie opened his mouth to offer another point, Schneep let his shoulders slump and waved a hand. “Alright, alright. I’ll get all of them wrong, though. I’m tired.”

“Aw, give yourself some credit! We’ve been practicing for a while,” Jackieboy reminded him cheerfully as he steered him toward the telescope and then turned his attention to the basket of heaping blankets that very well could have just stayed up here permanently; he and Schneep used them every time they came up here and Marvin had frankly given up on refolding them neatly. Kneeling, he hugged the fluffiest one against his chest briefly before throwing its nearest corners into the wind to untangle it. “Just call ’em as you see ’em!”

“A-Alright…There is…the big spoon. The dipping spoon.”

“Yeah?”

“And I can’t see the little dipping spoon but I know it’s somewhere near it.”

“Aw, c’mon, try and look for it!” Jackieboy encouraged, sending a brief glance over his shoulder just as Schneep looked back at him, his expression of uncertainty morphing into one of dimly troubled resignation as the hero smiled hopefully. He knew Schneep couldn’t resist his smile when he was asking really nicely for something! Sure enough, the doctor lowered his gaze to the roof for a moment or two before shaking his head and returning his attention to the telescope.

“Oh,” he realized, chuckling faintly. “There it is.”

“Told you!” Patting at the lumps and wrinkles in the layers of blankets and snatching up the thermoses of hot tea he had shoved into the blanket basket on the way up here, Jackieboy took a sniff of them and rolled his shoulders as preemptive tingly warmth spread through him. “Any others?”

“What’s the one named after the myth…? The one with the belt?”

“Orion?”

“Yes, yes, that was it…Hmm. Orion…” Schneep repeated, his voice wavering, falling softer. “Very bright. I think I find Orion…”

The teetering creak of the telescope’s legs and the following crash caused Jackieboy to jump, nearly knocking over the thermoses and spilling their contents on the blankets. “Hey, what are you doing?” he demanded, whirling around just in time to see the younger Ego sliding gracelessly over the edge of the roof. Whatever Jackie shouted next was lost to the blur of panic and super speed as he dove after him, catching him by a fistful of his shirt and wrenching him upward in one sharp heave so he could get a solid hold on his arm.

“Henrik, what was that?!” he cried in disbelief as he dragged him back to safety, gripping him snugly around the waist. “Henrik? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Broken…B-Broken th’ scope…” Schneep slurred, feebly fumbling to grip at Jackie’s jumpsuit as a grounding point.

“Forget the telescope! You almost fell off the roof, remember?!” Jackieboy sputtered before he had even finished, now crushingly aware of the heat bleeding through the fabric of his friend’s shirt. The coat must have masked it when they were back in the lab, he realized, cursing tersely. “Okay, buddy, you’re definitely feverish. What else are you feeling? What d’you need?”

“ _Ich habe keine Ahnung, jetzt ist mir schwindelig_ …”

Did he even notice he’d reverted to German? Fortunately there were a few words here and there that Jackie could pick out. “You’re dizzy?” he echoed worriedly, tightening his grip to support him as his friend drifted, blinking weakly as he struggled to catch his balance, only to slouch back down seconds later. For a moment or two his breathing grew heavier, hitching once or twice before falling disconcertingly shallow in one exhale as his head slumped down. The rest of his body promptly followed suit, forcing Jackie to take the brunt of his weight.

“Whoa—! Easy, easy does it, here we go. I’ve got you. I’ve got you…” Once he managed to drag him over to the pile of blankets and eased him onto his back, Jackie raked an unsteady hand through his hair, biting his lip as he tracked the rise and fall of his chest. It seemed to even out over time, but he still didn’t stir. Jackie had a feeling he wouldn’t be for a while yet; he’d exhausted every last ounce of adrenaline in his body.

He could easily scoop Schneep up and carry him down to his bed, but when he thought to how much relief the cool air had brought him, he didn’t want to move him. He doubted being down there in the “stuffy ol’ lab” would do him any favors.

Sinking down gingerly onto the blankets beside him, the older Ego curled his legs underneath him and picked up the nearest thermos, cupping it in both hands and taking a sip that he found uncomfortably hard to swallow.

This wasn’t the kind of rest he had wanted for his friend, but if it was all he could have, he would be right here until he woke up.


End file.
